about babies Koda's age, and it said that it would be good to start introducing solids more. I asked your mum about it. She said it was a good idea. So today, I gave him a banana and crackers just to start out, to see how he went, and Koda loved them. You should have seen his face. He was so excited, he…" She trailed off, her eyes widening at my scowl.
"Did you fuckin' think to ring me, his goddamn father, and ask me?"
She shook her head. Her eyes went to the floor. "No, sorry."
Koda started to whine in my arms, but I hadn't finished. "He could have choked. He could have been fuckin' allergic to something. You can't just do shit without me knowing, woman. You ain't his fuckin' mother."
"I would never try to be," she muttered to the floor.
"Jesus," I snarled. "The first day you come here, and already you get him outta routine. Already you don't fuckin' think about what his father would want."
Her chin came up and jerked out. "Am I fired?"
Glaring, I clenched my jaw so I didn't yell yes! "I'm going to get Koda changed for bed." Like a dick, I gestured to the kitchen. "Tidy this shit up, and maybe do as I tell you and pay you to do." Turning, I stalked from the room.
"Wait," she called out, rushing into the living room. As I met her gaze from looking over my shoulder, she asked again, "Am I fired?"
"No," I snapped.
"Okay." She sighed. I saw her shoulders relax, and tension leave her body. Only I didn't say anything else. I walked to Koda's room.
By the time I finished putting Koda to bed and came out into the kitchen, Mena was gone. There was a note on the bench that said my dinner was in the fridge, and she'd be back at eight thirty in the morning.
Opening the fridge, my eyes landed on the plate holding a steak I knew would be juicy and potatoes just the way I liked them cooked.
"Fuck," I grumbled to the room.
I knew I'd been a dick to her, but she should have called me.
Jesus, I remembered she'd caught the bus, and it was pitch-fuckin'-black outside. She knew I wanted to drive her to the bus stop, but instead of putting up with my arsehollery ways, she'd left to walk alone at night.
Slamming the door closed on the fridge, I went to go to the front door to see if I could still spot her down the drive, but instead, the phone rang.
"Yo."
"How was your first day of work, son?"
"Next time you want to give the go-ahead to some bird I don't know to feed my son something he could choke on, don't. Or better yet, ring me, and then I'll tell you no fuckin' way."
"You finished?" Mum asked acidly.
Fuck me.
"For now."
"Right, my turn and listen good, child of mine. Your son needs his solid food now. He's at the age jar food won't do shit for him. You keep coddling him like you have been, it'll all turn to crap. He is a strong, good little boy, and Mena giving him food today should fucking show you that he can handle it, but it's your mind that's holding him back. It's your worry that will deter his growth," she snapped, but she hadn't finished. "I just bet you took all this shit out on a woman who doesn't need it. Mena is a good woman. She has experience with children and you picked her. The time I spent with her, I saw how much she would be great for Koda, how she would care for him like her life depended on it. Do not fuck this up, Kalen. You keep treating her like shit, she won't keep staying around for it. You're probably too full in your own head to notice the sadness lurking in her eyes. She's been through a lot, Kalen, and the last thing she needs is you being a prick about shit that should be happening anyway."
"I ain't here to coddle her, Mum. I don't give a crap about her sadness or anything—"
"Do you care about your son?"
"You know I fucking do," I shot back.
"Then loosen the goddamn ropes and let your son grow. Let him shine under her watch. You’re a fantastic father, Kalen. The best. But I fear the worry you have will be harmful to him."
Shit. She was right, and I bloody hated she was.
"Still,
"Did you fuckin' think to ring me, his goddamn father, and ask me?"
She shook her head. Her eyes went to the floor. "No, sorry."
Koda started to whine in my arms, but I hadn't finished. "He could have choked. He could have been fuckin' allergic to something. You can't just do shit without me knowing, woman. You ain't his fuckin' mother."
"I would never try to be," she muttered to the floor.
"Jesus," I snarled. "The first day you come here, and already you get him outta routine. Already you don't fuckin' think about what his father would want."
Her chin came up and jerked out. "Am I fired?"
Glaring, I clenched my jaw so I didn't yell yes! "I'm going to get Koda changed for bed." Like a dick, I gestured to the kitchen. "Tidy this shit up, and maybe do as I tell you and pay you to do." Turning, I stalked from the room.
"Wait," she called out, rushing into the living room. As I met her gaze from looking over my shoulder, she asked again, "Am I fired?"
"No," I snapped.
"Okay." She sighed. I saw her shoulders relax, and tension leave her body. Only I didn't say anything else. I walked to Koda's room.
By the time I finished putting Koda to bed and came out into the kitchen, Mena was gone. There was a note on the bench that said my dinner was in the fridge, and she'd be back at eight thirty in the morning.
Opening the fridge, my eyes landed on the plate holding a steak I knew would be juicy and potatoes just the way I liked them cooked.
"Fuck," I grumbled to the room.
I knew I'd been a dick to her, but she should have called me.
Jesus, I remembered she'd caught the bus, and it was pitch-fuckin'-black outside. She knew I wanted to drive her to the bus stop, but instead of putting up with my arsehollery ways, she'd left to walk alone at night.
Slamming the door closed on the fridge, I went to go to the front door to see if I could still spot her down the drive, but instead, the phone rang.
"Yo."
"How was your first day of work, son?"
"Next time you want to give the go-ahead to some bird I don't know to feed my son something he could choke on, don't. Or better yet, ring me, and then I'll tell you no fuckin' way."
"You finished?" Mum asked acidly.
Fuck me.
"For now."
"Right, my turn and listen good, child of mine. Your son needs his solid food now. He's at the age jar food won't do shit for him. You keep coddling him like you have been, it'll all turn to crap. He is a strong, good little boy, and Mena giving him food today should fucking show you that he can handle it, but it's your mind that's holding him back. It's your worry that will deter his growth," she snapped, but she hadn't finished. "I just bet you took all this shit out on a woman who doesn't need it. Mena is a good woman. She has experience with children and you picked her. The time I spent with her, I saw how much she would be great for Koda, how she would care for him like her life depended on it. Do not fuck this up, Kalen. You keep treating her like shit, she won't keep staying around for it. You're probably too full in your own head to notice the sadness lurking in her eyes. She's been through a lot, Kalen, and the last thing she needs is you being a prick about shit that should be happening anyway."
"I ain't here to coddle her, Mum. I don't give a crap about her sadness or anything—"
"Do you care about your son?"
"You know I fucking do," I shot back.
"Then loosen the goddamn ropes and let your son grow. Let him shine under her watch. You’re a fantastic father, Kalen. The best. But I fear the worry you have will be harmful to him."
Shit. She was right, and I bloody hated she was.
"Still,
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